Netanyahu opposed the American proposal for a timetable of two years for completing the talks, while the Palestinians were in favor. Abbas demanded that the 1967 borders would be mentioned in the speech, but Netanyahu vetoed that possibility. The prime minister demanded that Obama note that Israel was a “Jewish state,” which is something the Palestinians find unacceptable.

he Palestinian leader was adamant: “I demand a complete freeze including East Jerusalem and natural growth.”

the Americans were mostly irked with the Palestinians, and Abbas’ refusal to meet at the UN. The Americans continued to press Abbas, especially through other Arab leaders.

At the end a decision fell in Washington ¬ this would not be the inauguration of a new round of peace talks, but a tripartite meeting would be held so that the boycott Abbas imposed on Netanyahu would break. Mitchell called Abbas and invited him to New York, and in parallel an invitation went out to Netanyahu.

Senior U.S. officials assumed that once an official invitation went out from President Obama, neither side would dare turn it down, which is what happened.